During her very first press conference on Tuesday afternoon, hours after being sworn in, Premier Smith said that in her view, individuals who chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 were the most discriminated group against that she has witnessed in her lifetime.  

"The community that faced the most restrictions on their freedoms in the last year were those who made a choice not to be vaccinated. I don't think I've ever experienced a situation in my lifetime, where a person was fired from their job, not allowed to watch their kids play hockey, or not allowed to go visit a loved one in long-term care or hospital," she said in response to a reporter's question.

The original question came when a reporter asked Smith about vaccine choice and how she wanted to protect that under the Human Rights Act. Smith was asked how she viewed this in contrast with vaccine choice being equal to issues of race, gender, and sexuality, which are protected under the Human Rights act as those are not choices.

"I don't take away any of the discrimination that I've seen in those other groups that you mentioned. But this has been an extraordinary time in the last year in particular, and I want people to know that I find that unacceptable, that we are not going to create a segregated society on the basis of a medical choice," Smith continued.

She said that when it comes to vaccine choices, the conversation should focus on vaccines being meant for self-protection.

"We have to stop trying to victimize a particular group because they make it made a different choice. I know that that's going to be a little challenging for some people who've been holding a different view for a long period of time, but if I need to make the point that this kind of discrimination is unacceptable, the best way to do it is by changing the Human Rights Act."

After the press conference, a flurry of anger via social media from Albertans and politicians was unleashed. NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir said in a released statement that the comments made by Premier Danielle Smith further divide the province.

"[Her comments] minimize the hate and violence towards racialized Albertans and the 2SLGTBQIA+ community. Danielle Smith needs to apologize for these comments. She has already demonstrated on her first official day in office that she is not ready to lead for all Albertans.”

NDP Leader Rachel Notley posted on her official Twitter account saying that the new Premier's comments were disrespectful and tone-deaf.

"Danielle Smith's comments today on discrimination were completely disrespectful and tone-deaf in light of all the work we are collectively committing to with respect to truth and reconciliation. First Nations communities are still dealing with the effects of genocide, and for the Premier of this province to ignore this trauma and say unvaccinated people were the most discriminated against group in Alberta flies in the face of all the work we must still do. We must do more than speak, we must act, and Danielle Smith’s actions today speak volumes.," Notley wrote.

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Calgary's Mayor, Jyoti Gondek, also took to Twitter to voice her disappointment at the statements.

"Of the things I could say, I choose to focus on demonstrating to this premier the work that our city continues to do around anti-racism, Indigenous relations, Holocaust remembrance, allyship with the LGBTQ2S+ community & equity-based awareness. In other words, work that matters," Gondek wrote.

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